Plant the Seeds of Creativity This Summer with Outdoor Arts Activities

To plant the seeds of creativity, retreat to the outdoors this summer where your children can explore a world of hands-on learning.

Teachers and experts agree that by drawing on arts related outdoor activities, parents can channel children's natural interest in this area into further study and discovery.

VSA arts recommends the following activities designed for young children, including those with disabilities:

"LEAF" YOUR MARK!

Creating Leaf Print Stationery: Gather interesting-shaped leaves from your backyard or a nearby park. Arrange the leaves with the veins up, under a sheet of white or colored paper. Using the sides of unwrapped crayons, assist your child in rubbing the crayon over the paper with leaves underneath to create imprints. Repeat the process by rearranging the leaves and mixing crayon colors to create a design of patterns. This process encourages spatial associations needed to learn math concepts. You and your child can use the stationery when sending notes to friends and family.

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MAKE AN IMPRESSION!

Painting With Watercolors: Find a spot in a yard, garden or other green space with plants and flowers around to inspire your child's artwork. Dampen a sheet of heavy paper with water using a sponge or broad paintbrush. Now the paper is prepared for dabbing paint onto its surface using a small, wet paintbrush with a pointed tip. Using a tray of watercolors, have your child stroke the brush back and forth across one color at a time. Touch the tip of the brush onto the paper and watch as the color explodes to create an "impression" of the colors and shapes of the garden. Have your child use words or phrases to describe the painting. Later, at home or at the library, read with your child about this style of art called Impressionism.

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GROW UP!

Learning How A Garden Grows: Learning about the outdoors can be more fun if children role play through creative movement and drama. To help children understand how plants grow, as well as develop critical thinking skills, have them imitate nature-related movements. To imitate a seed, have your child roll up and pretend to be under the ground. Explain that as the seed receives sun and rain, it begins to grow, and have your child slowly extend one arm, then the other until fully standing. To imitate the sun, children can round their arms over their head. For rain, join your child in making fluttering finger movements that mimic rain. Encourage other creative movements as well.

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